Baldwin Park police had received a tip about a Craigslist
advertisement of N95 respirator masks for sale.
The listed price for a single box of 20 masks, which are
currently in short supply in hospitals across the nation during the
new coronavirus pandemic: $300.
Detectives wearing plain clothes and posing as buyers contacted
the man behind the post and met with him on Tuesday morning at a
shopping center parking lot in West Covina, police said. As a part
of the ruse, the detectives exchanged the cash for the box. Then
they immediately arrested the man on suspicion of price gouging
during a state of emergency.
Investigators also seized a stockpile of 420 additional N95
masks from the suspect, who police identified as Johnwill
Baldonado, 30, of Covina.
Amazon
has banned the sale of certain items, including N95 masks, to
prioritize the items for hospitals and government agencies directly
responding to COVID-19 in the U.S. (Amazon.com screenshot)
District attorneys throughout Southern California
have been warning residents about price-gouging schemes that
exploit the public health crisis, saying they are ready to
prosecute people who resell essential items, such as certain
equipment, food, fuel, or shelter at a rate 10% more than its
typical market price.
With masks, particularly N95 respirators, in short supply, the
protective gear has become a potential cash cow for would-be price
gougers, and a source of concern from
healthcare workers who have felt the shortage most acutely.
Last week, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that
people should wear face coverings when in public to help prevent
the spread of the coronavirus. But federal officials stressed
that surgical masks and N95 respirators should be left for those on
the front lines of fighting the spread of the infection.
Some healthcare workers in Southern California have said they
fear for their safety while caring for patients infected with
COVID-19, voicing concerns toward
inadequate supply of proper protective gear, such as N95 masks,
inside hospitals and clinics.
The federal government on Monday struck a deal with manufacturer
3M to produce 166.5 million
masks over the next three months to help support healthcare
workers in the U.S.
Such shortages have also prompted online retail giant Amazon to
ban the sale of N95 masks, noting to customers that the items are
being prioritized for hospitals and government organizations.
Amazon has long been
cracking down on users who attempt to price gouge.
A search for “N95 masks” on Google’s shopping hub yields
zero results. The site shows a “COVID-19 alert”: “Product
availability may be limited, and we’ve removed results with
excessive price increases.”
The hundreds of the coveted masks seized Tuesday from the Covina
man are currently sitting inside the evidence room of the Baldwin
Park police station with the decision of their fate to come on a
later date, said Baldwin Park police Lt. Chris Hofford.
Hofford said that to release the masks, police would need a
court order. He said the masks may be put to use among its own
officers, who are required by department brass to wear N95 masks
when on patrol, or could be donated to hospitals.
“We definitely want them to be put to use given the current
pandemic,” Hofford said.
The suspect, Baldonado was booked at the police station on
suspicion of the price-gouging violation, a misdemeanor, and was
released from custody with a citation and order to appear in court,
Hofford said.
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